For this post, I am focusing mainly on the Mid to Late Victorian Era (1855-1901). However, there are tricks for all eras and I will be covering them soon! Corsets are an essential part of almost an…
At The SCA 50 Year War, a couple of women from Drachenwald (Sweden) were wearing Landsknecht Short Hosen. Several ladies here in Meridies (Tennessee/Alabama/Georgia) expressed an interest in makin…
London photographer Edward Linley Sambourne captured everyday street style around the turn of the 20th century...
I was a good girl for nine full days and wrote blog posts chocked full of information. As a reward to myself and because Thursday is my favorite day of the week, I’m posting historic fashion eye ca…
For the Embroidery Illiterate such as Myself… As I have confessed multiple times, sewing and embroidery are not my strong points (You can see one of my better attempts here). However, I am st…
20 Stunning Vintage Photos Show What Victorian Female Fashion Looked Like - That's why Victorian Era has always been considered the most wonderful fashion.
Gdss Victoria Melita of Hesse (later gdss Victoria Fyodorovna of russia) with her daughter, the tragic pss Elisabeth of Hesse. Darmstadt, 1899.
O's must-see movie of the month is The Duchess, starring Keira Knightley.
By the 1880s, lawn tennis had become one of the most popular sports for women in Victorian England.
As I talked about in Tuesday 4th December's post on Ruby Streatfeild, researching the peerage is a damn sight easier than some friendless seamstress, no offence to friendless seamstresses obviously. Also as I mentioned with Ruby, she was related by marriage to today's lady, Lady Florence Beatrice Anson. Florence Beatrice Anson, c.1864 Lady Florence Beatrice Anson came into the world on 12 August 1860, eldest daughter of the Earl of Lichfield, Thomas George Anson. There were a great number of Anson children born between 1856 and 1877 at the family seat of Shugborough Hall... Shugborough Hall, and very nice too The Anson family split their time between their little place in Staffordshire (above) and the very well appointed Dover Street in London. Of course, when in London, they moved in their society circles which included the family of 3rd Earl Somers. He had married Virginia Pattle, so the inevitable happened... Florence Anson (1866) Julia Margaret Cameron I read that Isabel Somers-Cocks, daughter of Earl Somers was very sheltered and not allowed much society with other children. She appears to have gone infrequently out to events with Florence Anson and the pair are often listed together at royal occasions during the season. Aged six, Florence and her brothers Claude and possibly Frederick or Henry posed for Mrs Cameron. Cameron found Florence very inspirational and I have to admit for a child of six, little Florence seems far older with her large, soulful eyes and delicate face. I wondered if the photographs were taken in London or Freshwater but the following seems to decide the matter... Days at Freshwater (1870) Julia Margaret Cameron I'm taking this to be literally Freshwater, and the Anson children (Claude, aged 6, on the left, ten year old Florence and 13 year old George on the right) are the epitome of the elegant beauty of the place. Cameron used Florence to represent nameless ideals of feminine beauty as the little girl grew towards teenagehood. Florence Anson (1870) Julia Margaret Cameron She has a delightfully mournful expression, seemingly without trying, and her downcast, sad eyes manage to look innocent and haunted at the same time. They are arguably the pinnacle of Cameron's child portraits, with ten year old Florence echoing the poses and expressions that May Prinsep or Mary Hillier would also perform. Florence Anson (1868-9) Julia Margaret Cameron As Florence grew older, she attended many society events, including attending court events which is probably how she ended up as bridesmaid to Queen Victoria's youngest son, Prince Leopold when he married Princess Helena of Waldeck-Pyrmont in 1881. Bridesmaid portrait, published in the commemorative Illustrated London News Prince Leopold was the youngest son of Queen Victoria, and held very close by his protective mother due to his haemophilia, but despite the search to find him a bride that his mother approved of, he finally married a fellow royal from a European family, at Windsor Castle. A royal portraitist was engaged to paint an image of the event... The Marriage of the Duke of Albany 22nd April 1882 (1885) Sir James Dromgole Florence is one of the beautiful girls in attendance, but the painting took a long time to complete, so long that sadly it became a memorial to the prince who died only two years into the marriage. He slipped and fell while in Cannes for his health and hit his head. He died of a cerebral haemorrhage the next day. It's that moustache again! Florence was married in August of 1885, having become engaged in February of the year before. Her husband was Captain Henry Streatfeild, son of Colonel Streatfeild of Chiddingstone. Ruby Streatfeild was one of her bridesmaids, being sister of the groom. The wedding party contained most of the artistocrats of England with more Viscounts, Duchesses and Honorables than you could shake a stick at. They went on honeymoon to Bowood House in Wiltshire, where my mate Lisa had her wedding reception and very nice it was too. As Bowood House is the seat of the Marquis of Lansdowne, the couple obviously knew the family and there is a photo of Florence with the Marchioness of Lansdowne, who was her friend... Marchioness of Lansdowne and Florence Impossibly small waists aside, Florence had a pretty normal life, which I'm sure is a relief to all of you. Her husband was a captain in the Grenadier Guards (which he had joined from Eton in 1876), moving all the way up the ranks until he became Colonel by 1911, when the couple are listed as living at Hoath House, Chiddingstone, Kent. Their son, Henry Sidney John Streatfeild was born in Ottowa in 1886 while his father was working there. Hoath House, and very nice too. Henry kept getting honours, such as the Royal Victorian Order (member 4th class, 1902), Groom in waiting to the king, as well as being ADC to the Governor General of Canada, the Viceroy of India and the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and saw active service in the Boer War. In the First War World, Henry was taken out of retirement and became a staff officer for the duration. Before his death in 1938, he sold the family village of Chiddingstone to the National Trust, which seems about right. His son, Henry, inherited the family wealth, but Florence, then in her 80s, was not doing so well. Holloway Sanatorium, Virginia Water, Surrey In the 1939 census, Florence is a patient at Holloway Sanatorium, a private mental hospital. She died on 25 September 1946, and although the mentions of her last year are very discreet, her place of death is registered to 'Virginia Water' so it is possible that she was still at Holloway. Florence was buried beside her husband in the family plot at Chiddingstone, not far from fellow artist's model and sister-in-law Ruby Colville (nee Streatfeild). It's a small world, especially in the world of upper class Victorian ladies. See you tomorrow.
Stockholm, Paris, Moscow, Tokyo, Istanbul, London. You’ll find street style blogs for almost every major city. Amateur and professional photographers hang around outside fashion shows or just prowl…
Glorification of rampant capitalism, soap opera storylines, and fabulous Edwardian hats? I don’t know why it took me so long to start watching this, and now I’ve caught up and am chompi…
Colette stars Keira Knightley as the famous French author of the Claudine novels, Chéri, and Gigi, among others. She was born Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954), married author/publisher Henry G…
If, like me, you’ve long admired the 1890s bicycling or sporting sweaters but did not know how to knit, this sewing tutorial and pattern is for you, no knitting required! I wore this sweater …
While a lot of people spend a lot of time developing their personal style, few can say they have medieval dresses hanging in their closet. YouTuber Bernadette Banner has more than just a few. Furthermore, she’s made all of them by hand. “I study the history of dress through practical experimentation and reconstruction, exploring historical eras preceding the introduction of the electric sewing machine because technology is weird,” she says.
It’s odd, last week I posted a set of photos that I really liked, but the photos were of a project I wasn’t very happy with. And this week it’s the other way around! I’m rea…
Did you find any inspiration from some of the photos and links from the last decade for The Challenge? Just remember, right now I am gathering info for you so that you can see what decades you wou…
Incorporating lace into outfits has been a sign of elegance since the sixteenth century and remains today a staple of haute couture catwalks. From hand-made lace worn by royals and the nobility to machine-made material that can be worn today by anyone, a new exhibition at the Fashion Museum Ba
Explore CharmaineZoe's Marvelous Melange's 26250 photos on Flickr!
Miss Sibley and Miss Huston, Junction City, Kansas, 1897
We all love Outlander, so while we enjoy this season and wait till the next here's a few strange history facts, along with a few well I never's! take a look at these gorgeous gifts!
Glorification of rampant capitalism, soap opera storylines, and fabulous Edwardian hats? I don’t know why it took me so long to start watching this, and now I’ve caught up and am chompi…
Author: R. Turner Wilcox Charles Scribner's Sons, New York (NY), 1952, 200 pp.
I have five favorite designers: Dior, Balenciaga, Balmain, Givenchy, and Fath. I wanted to share a few favorite fashions by Jacques Fath from 1950. I have been obsessed with the magazine L'Officiel and L'Art et la Mode since 2008. I am in the process of archiving the fashions that I love from 1947- 1962. This is taking me forever, because I might have not liked how I archived them originally and might of had to start over. That is how I roll and it is really annoying. Most of these pictures didn't have the designers names on the photo. I added them to help me keep track of them. Here are my top 10 favorites in no particular order. I want to make all of these designs for Gene and friends. Cute! I wish there was a photo of what the top of this dress looks like. Love the collar of this suit! I love the collars on this suit and the next suit. Love the flowers on the bodice and cuffs. I love finding the sketch and the photo of the same outfit. The next three outfits have the same fur collar, I must really like it. I am almost ready to post about my newest pattern, hopefully later this week.
Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms exhibit, Styling an American Family
Mr Selfridge returned to ITV on Sunday night with the nuptials of Harry Selfridge's eldest daughter Rosalie to Russian aviator Serge De Bolotoff in a lavish ceremony
OR HOW TO MAKE A ROMAN COSTUME by Caroline Lawrence, author of The Roman Mysteries Girl fans often ask me 'How can I make myself a tog...
So I have spoken about my new 16th century German chemise/shirt, and I have also documented the whole process of making it so that I can show you how it is made. This hemd goes under the name of …
The Emmy winner details Joanna’s shocking exit and how her power plays compare to those of Margaret Thatcher and Eleanor Roosevelt.
